Amor Bandido is a 2023 Argentinian erotic thriller about a sixteen-year-old boy who begins a relationship with his middle-aged art teacher. Also known as Bandit Love and Wicked Love.
Directed by Daniel Andres Werner – making his feature directorial debut – from a screenplay co-written with Diego Avalos. The movie stars Romina Ricci, Renato Quattordio, Rafael Ferro and Mónica Gonzaga.
Blurb:
“Amor Bandido is a tale of love, passion, sex, kidnapping and murder. Anyone who tells you that their first love was a magical affair hadn’t had an experience like the one that happens in Amor Bandido, an erotic thriller from Argentina that recounts a first love that goes terribly, violently wrong.”
Plot synopsis:
Naive sixteen-year-old Joan (Renato Quattordio) falls madly in love with his middle-aged sultry art teacher Luciana (Romina Ricci). She is also smitten, and together they run away for a love nest weekend in a country house. But what begins as a schoolboy’s dream turns into a nightmare…
Reviews:
“Despite some solid tension as things spiral out of Joan’s control, the final act struggles to wrap things up. Here the final scenes are somewhat ambiguous as Werner quickly looks for an escape route. As a result, Amor Bandido never quite finds its voice, but somehow, it remains engaging. While Werner’s debut feature is quickly forgotten, Amor Bandido has just enough spice, shocks and steam to keep its head above water.” 2 out of 5, Cinerama Film
” …begins like any number of forbidden-love dramas […] the only real suspense is wondering how long before we get to see the first sex scene (answer: 27 minutes). But at the midpoint, the movie makes an unexpected shift from taboo-romance to outright thriller, and the genre shift pays off.” Grade: B, The Grouchy Editor
“Engaging and raw, Amor Bandido is a fantastic erotic thriller that’s more than meets the eye. The acting is emotional and fantastic and the cinematography is stellar: it’s as dark as it needs to be with some shocking scenes of violence. Truly excellent film, I highly recommend it.” The Horror Revolution
“The story does seem to fly by a little too fast, not letting the linger of doubt and insecurity about everything hold for more threat. The performances in the film are strong, with the two leads, Romina Ricci and Renato Quattordio getting to shine together throughout the film.” 3 out of 5, Movie Reviews 101
“An inappropriate love story was never going to make for a comfortable movie to watch, so the first half especially wasn’t that entertaining for me. The second half does improve things, leading up to a finale that was well-paced and somewhat satisfying.” 7 out of 10, The Rotting Zombie
“A very enjoyable little thriller that might take a bit to reach its full potential, but that hardly at all matters as it has a powerful story to tell, and it keeps one on one’s toes with plenty of unexpected yet narratively logical plot twists and a proper build-up of tension and suspense.” Search My Trash
Release:
In the US, Amor Bandido was released on VOD and DVD by Cinephobia Releasing on July 18, 2023.
Trailer:
